The U.S. won a silver or bronze medal in all six finals on the first day of the three-day world indoor track and field championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
Leading the way with silver medals were Mikiah Brisco (women’s 60m), Elle Purrier St. Pierre (women’s 3000m) and Chase Ealey (women’s shot put).
The Americans earned bronze in the women’s 60m (Marybeth Sant-Price) and pentathlon (Kendell Williams) and the men’s long jump (Marquis Dendy) and triple jump (Donald Scott).
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Brisco was nipped by Swiss Mujinga Kambundji in the 60m final. Kambundji, an Olympic finalist in the 100m and 200m, passed the American in the last meters and clocked 6.96 seconds, edging Brisco by .03.
Brisco earned her first individual medal in her first individual race at a global championships. She became the third American woman to break seven seconds in the 60m, and the first since 1999, joining Gail Devers and Marion Jones, who both ran 6.95.
Jamaica, which has dominated the sprints, did not send its Tokyo Olympic gold and silver medalists Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to world indoors.
Also Friday, Purrier St. Pierre earned her first global championships medal, doing so in her complementary event. Purrier St. Pierre failed to make the U.S. team in the 1500m, which she won at the Olympic Trials.
She bounced back, and in the 3000m final, moved up from fourth or fifth at the bell to take silver, .22 behind Ethiopian Lemlem Hailu.
Ealey, fifth in the Olympic Trials shot put, tied 2016 Olympic champion Michelle Carter‘s American indoor record with a 20.21-meter throw. Auriol Dongmo of Portugal won at 20.43.
In heats Friday, Olympic 400m hurdles bronze medalist Femke Bol of the Netherlands and Olympic 400m champion Shaunae-Miller Uibo of the Bahamas were two of the three fastest qualifiers into Saturday’s women’s 400m final. Neither American made it out of the heats.
American Isaiah Harris was the fastest qualifier into Saturday’s men’s 800m final. Bryce Hoppel, an Olympic semifinalist, also qualified. None of the Olympic finalists are in the field.
Americans Josette Norris and Heather MacLean made Saturday’s women’s 1500m final, which also includes world-record holder Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia.
World Indoors continue Saturday, highlighted by an anticipated showdown in the men’s 60m between world 100m champion Christian Coleman and Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy.
ON HER TURF: Brisco wins silver without sponsor
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